Collagen has been available in the United States since about 1986 as a food supplement. Collagen I/III can be extracted from calf skin and hydrolyzed for use in nutritional products. U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,745 (Koepff et al.) discloses agents containing collagen peptides produced by enzymatic hydrolysis for the treatment of degenerative joint diseases. These peptides can be obtained from animal skin, animal bones and other connective tissue with average molecular weights of 30-45 kilo-Daltons. U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,327 (Alkayali) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,440 (Stiles) disclose therapeutic compositions and method for the protection, treatment and repair of joint cartilage in mammals, comprising hydrolyzed collagen type II between 15 KD to 50 KD average molecular weight obtained from chicken sternal cartilage. In addition, collagen preparations from other animals, such as from donkey skin as in the Chinese traditional Medicine “e-jiao”, has also been used for hundreds of years as a skin health/beauty product.
Minerals perform many different functions in the body such as the formation of bone and cartilage, maintenance of fluid and acid/base balance, transportation of oxygen in the blood, normal functioning of muscles and nerves, and production of hormones. Minerals work with vitamins, enzymes, and other minerals in the body to produce their effects. Minerals can be grouped into macro and micro categories. Macro-minerals are needed in greater amounts in the diet, and are found in larger amounts in the body than micro-minerals. Macro-minerals include Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl), while micro-minerals include Copper (Cu), Iodine (I), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Selenium (Se), Silicon, and Zinc (Zn). Minerals such as calcium and magnesium are essential for bone and joint health. Minerals such as zinc are necessary for skin health. Iron and copper are important elements for the function of hemoglobin.
The proper balance of minerals in the mammalian body is extremely important and related to the amount of each mineral in the diet, the ability of the animal to absorb the minerals from the intestine, and any disease conditions which could cause excess loss or retaining of various minerals. A high quality mineral supplement which contains the proper balance of minerals can be highly beneficial. However, if supplementation is attempted with minerals of unknown or unreliable bioavailability, it can create imbalances and possibly disrupt nutritional health. Too much or too little of one mineral can affect the action of others. Therefore, it is vital that if supplementation is being practiced that it be carried out using supplements the bioavailability of which are highly predictable and consistent.
It has been shown that minerals can interact with food to form precipitates, thus preventing the mineral from being absorbed properly in the small intestine. Soy protein mineral chelate and rice protein mineral chelate products have been available as more bioavailable organic mineral supplements. Mineral proteinate protects the mineral from unwanted chemical reactions in the gastrointestinal tract, delivering more mineral for optimum absorption in small intestine. Wedekind et al., J. Anim. Sci. 70:178 (1992). According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) definition, mineral proteinate is the product resulting from the chelation of a soluble salt with amino acids and/or partially hydrolyzed protein. However, some scientific reports that addressed the bioavailability of mineral proteinate supported that mineral proteinate products were superior to mineral supplementation alone, while some indicated that no advantage was provided. Brown T. F. and Zeringue L. K. 1994 J Dairy Sci. 77:181-189.